During Friday night’s NBA Cup action, James Harden and the Los Angeles Clippers outdueled Cooper Flagg and the Dallas Mavericks, winning 133-127 in an entertaining double-overtime matchup. Harden, a former NBA Most Valuable Player, was clearly the star of the night.
He logged a career-high 51 minutes against the Mavericks, ending with a triple-double of 41 points, 14 rebounds, and 11 assists. It was another triple-double for his stellar career, keeping Harden within range of Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic, who currently has 83 of them.
“We’re still gonna be resilient. We’re still gonna fight. And tonight was one of those cases,” Harden said regarding his team’s determination in a post-game interview. “We got the ability, as long as we continue to fight. Tonight was a good start for us, first game of a long road trip, so we take it one game at a time,” he added about their upcoming games.
While Harden is nowhere near his former teammate Russell Westbrook, who leads the all-time triple-doubles list with 204, he achieved some significant NBA history with his latest feat. The NBA, sharing a highlight reel of Harden’s impressive night, announced that he’d officially become the first player in Clippers franchise history to record a 40-point triple-double.
Along with that, Harden became the franchise’s triple-double leader with eight and surpassed the legendary Larry Bird as the oldest player ever to record a 40-point triple-double.
Among his highlights were a contested shot against Cooper Flagg, some crafty three-pointers after creating space, several “and-one” baskets, and a circus shot driving the lane. One of the game’s commentators exclaimed, “James Harden doing James Harden-like things. Late in the game, he dons a cape, he fires a three. Oh, he’s Superman!”
Harden’s game against the Mavericks was among several incredible offensive performances from NBA stars on Friday night. Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry scored 49 points in a close win against Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs to lead all scorers.
Giannis Antetokounmpo had an NBA-high 18 assists, while the Lakers’ Deandre Ayton recorded an NBA-high 16 rebounds in NBA Cup games. Additionally, New York Knicks’ Karl-Anthony Towns and Miami Heat’s Norman Powell flirted with 40-point performances in their NBA Cup matchup.
During his post-game interview, Harden learned he’d become the Clippers’ all-time leader in triple-doubles and remained humble in response to his historic achievement. “I just play to try to win games. You put the work in, things happen like that. All glory to God, just keep going, you know? Keep chipping away,” he said.
The incredible performance led the Clippers to a 2-0 record in their group games for the NBA Cup so far. They won’t play another West Group B game until Tuesday, Nov. 25, when they face the Los Angeles Lakers, who could have LeBron James back in their lineup.
https://www.newsweek.com/sports/nba/nba-announces-james-harden-achieved-historic-first-los-angeles-clippers-11054290